Oyster-tongs



No. 622,l00. Patented Mar. 28, 1899. P. 6. ASHLEY.

OYSTER TONGSQ (Applicafion filed Dec. 28, 1898.)

(No Model.)

4 q/qhtvwooeo a1 wawoz M wmw NlTED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

PHILLIP G. ASHLEY, OF ROCK HALL, MARYLAND.

OYSTER-TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,100, dated March28, 1899. Application filed December 23,1898. Serial No- 700,128. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILLIP G. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rock Hall, in the county of Kent and State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oyster-Tongs, of whichthe following is a specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the apparatus inposition to be low ered into the water, and Fig. 2 a similar viewshowing the device as it appears after it has struck the oyster-bed inits descent.

Referring to the drawings by letters, a des ignates the usual pair offlat levers,.pivoted at their point of intersection 'upon a horizontalbolt Z); and having the lifting ropes or chains connected to their upperends in the usual manner. Attached to the lower ends of these levers arethe rake-bars c and the usual basket-like wire frames d. Attached toeach lever is a supplemental fiat bar or plate 6, parallel to bothlevers and attached at its ends to one of the levers, being separatedtherefrom sufficiently to loosely receive the opposite lever. Thesesupplemental plates are attached to opposite sides of the levers, sothat each one embraces the opposite lever and bears on its outer side,the pivotal bolt passing through all the bars.

Depending from near the upper end of one of the levers is a'latoh f,pivoted upon a horizontal pin extending transversely through the lever,so that the latch may swing toward and from the same. Its lower end isbent inward and turned upward slightly, forming a I hook-like end g,which when the apparatus is set for lowering into the water engagesunder the lower edge and upon the inside of the adjacent rake-bar,holding the rakes apart against the tendency of the levers to closethem. As soon as the rakes strike the oysterbed the tendency of thelevers to close the rakes will be relieved and the weight of the latchwill cause the latch to become instantly disengaged from the rake-barand to swing away therefrom, so that when the tongs are lifted the rakeswill be free to close and gather the oysters.

The advantage of the supplemental plates on the levers is that thebearing-surfaces are increased, whereby the levers will be more trulyguided, relieving the pivotal bolt of torsional strain and reducing thetendency to loosen the binding-nut on said pivot-bolt.

It is obvious that the latch may be employed upon both levers, ifdesired.

The advantage of pivoting the latch near one end of the lever andadapting it to swing inward and engage under the lower edge of therake-bar is that it will have a free swing away from the rakes whenreleased, whereby danger of being interfered with in its operation isavoided. A further advantage is that it gives the latch ample length andswing, so

that while it will lock the parts securely it will need buta slightjarring to release it. A further advantage is that by engaging therake-bar directly a firmer and more reliable latch is provided.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In oyster-tongs the combination of a pair of levers provided withoyster-rakes on their lower ends and having hoisting-ropes attached totheir other ends, a pivot-bolt connecting the levers at their point ofintersection, and supplemental bars attached at their ends upon oppositesides of the respective levers and having the pivot-bolt passing throughthem, the adjacent surfaces of the levers and supplemental platesbearing against each other.

2. In oyster-tongs,the combination of apair of intersecting leverspivoted together and provided with oyster-rakes at their lower ends andmeans for attaching them at their upper ends to the hoisting-ropes, anda swinging latch pivoted to one of the levers at a point above where itintersects the other lever and adapted to swing toward and from therakes, the lower end of this latch being provided with an inward andupturned hook adapted to engage under and upon the inside of one of therake-bars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILLIP G. ASHLEY.

Witnesses:

MARY 0. ASHLEY, JOHN E. BECK.

